


Don’t Go Far Off

by Paper_Crane_Song



Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: Episode Related, Episode: s04e12 Babel One, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-15 17:08:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28941969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Paper_Crane_Song/pseuds/Paper_Crane_Song
Summary: Malcolm’s EV suit is running out of air.A scene from season 4’s Babel One, from Trip’s perspective.
Relationships: Malcolm Reed & Charles "Trip" Tucker III
Comments: 9
Kudos: 29





	Don’t Go Far Off

**Author's Note:**

> I usually stay clear of season 4 because I find it so sad, but I watched Babel One again recently and loved the scene where Trip is trying to replenish the oxygen supply for their EV suits. He really seems to be aware of how critical the situation is getting for Malcolm, yet he does a good job of staying cool and keeping his feelings under control. I thought it would be interesting to try and retell the scene from his point of view. 
> 
> Please note: all dialogue is taken from the episode. The title is taken from a poem of the same name by Pablo Neruda. 
> 
> Any thoughts are always really welcome. Thanks for reading.

Trip unscrews the transfer valve on the liquid fuel tank whilst Malcolm quietly suffocates. 

He can hear Malcolm breathing through the linked comm system in their EV suits, and the breaths have taken on a desperate quality.

“How you holding up?” he says with a glance at his friend as he works on the tank. 

Malcolm smiles slightly, as if embarrassed. “A little lightheaded,” he admits, and Trip feels a stab of fear because lightheaded is bad, he’s becoming hypoxic, and knowing Malcolm, _a little_ probably means _a lot_ , so it won’t be long before he’s unconscious. 

“That’s nothing new,” he says, trying to appear unconcerned, and his words don’t even make sense but Malcolm responds with a huff of appreciation nevertheless, as if grateful to him for not making a fuss. 

He needs to scan the tank to check it does indeed contain oxygen; a precautionary measure that he’s not sure Malcolm has time for, yet he can’t risk flooding the suits with contaminants. 

So he positions the tricorder next to the tank, waiting for a reading, and to keep Malcolm talking he says, “I should've known better,” alluding to their earlier conversation about T’Pol. He needs Malcolm to stay awake, because when Malcolm goes down, he goes down fast, like that time out on the hull when they were containing the plasma fire. He can still recall the shock of walking over to Malcolm afterwards, telling him he’d done a good job, only to find that Malcolm had fainted dead away in his EV suit. 

“About what?” Malcolm says, a shadow of curiosity in his voice. 

“Getting involved with a fellow officer,” and there it is again, the rush of sadness and the hurt. “There's nothing going on between us any more, if you're interested.”

Malcolm shakes his head slightly. “That's not why I asked.” He’s starting to slur his words.  


He goes for broke. “Well, you said she had an awfully nice bum,” deliberately provoking him into staying conscious.  


But Malcolm doesn’t rise to the bait. “This is true,” he says in a near whisper, and his eyes start to drift close. 

The tricorder delivers its verdict just as Trip’s fear is morphing into panic. 

“Pure oxygen,” he reads out in relief, and Malcolm’s eyes snap open again. “Be my guest.” 

But despite his invitation, he takes the hose himself and with shaking hands he attaches it to the valve. He has the satisfaction of seeing Malcolm’s cylinder fill up with sweet air again, and all he can think is,

_ thank God, thank God,  _

because sometimes he gets to keep the people who matter to him.

_Finis_


End file.
